This report is issued by the Administrator of the National Health Funding Pool under section 240 of the National Health Reform Act 2011.

This report is prepared on a cash basis. It shows monthly and year-to-date (YTD) National Health Reform (NHR) funding and payments for New South Wales for May 2014 as part of the National Health Reform Agreement.

Local hospital networks and National Health Reform

A local hospital network (LHN) is an organisation that provides public hospital services in accordance with the Agreement. An LHN can contain one or more hospitals, and is usually defined as a business group, geographical area or community. Every Australian public hospital is part of an LHN.

Note: The term ‘local hospital network’ is a national term. Some states and territories use their own terminology to describe these networks, such as local health districts, health organisations, and hospital and health services.

Under the Agreement, LHNs receive funding for the following public hospital services:

All admitted and non-admitted services

All emergency department services provided by a recognised emergency department

Other outpatient, mental health, sub-acute services and other services that could reasonably be considered a public hospital service.

Note: LHNs also receive funding from other sources, including the Commonwealth, states and territories, and third parties for the provision of other specific functions and services outside the scope of the Agreement, for example dental services, primary care, home and community care, residential aged care and pharmaceuticals. For further information on total funding to a particular LHN, contact the NSW Ministry of Health to view the service agreement for that LHN.

Basis for National Health Reform payments – New South Wales, May 2014

The basis used to determine NHR payments to local hospital networks (LHNs) in New South Wales for May 2014 was advised by the NSW Ministry of Health to be as follows:

Basis used to determine NHR payments to local hospital networks (LHNs) – New South Wales

The process for determining 2013-14 NHR payments to LHNs encompassed three distinct elements of preparation for the individual LHN Service Agreements, including development of annual activity estimates, discussion/negotiation of activity levels with individual LHNs, and total state-wide activity across each activity type.

Consistent with last year’s methodology and pursuant with the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA), the Ministry of Health has adopted the National Weighted Activity Unit (NWAU) as the currency for Activity Based Funding with the applicable version being NWAU13, which is different from the previous year (NWAU12). In addition, the scope of services under the NHRA from 1 July 2013 has now been expanded to include Mental Health services (Admitted only) and Sub and non acute services (Admitted and Non Admitted), as such a greater number of facilities are now in scope for ABF.

The Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA) has also introduced a National Efficient Cost funding model that applies to small regional and remote hospitals. NSW has adopted the mechanics of this funding model expressed in a matrix to determine the funding allocation to LHNs for these small hospitals.

Ensuring access to health services for local populations is a key objective of NSW health policy. The Health Services Act 1997 stipulates that in determining LHN budgets, the Minister have regard to the size and health needs of the local population and provision of services to residents outside the local area. Accordingly, targets are adjusted considering factors appropriate to each LHN and service type, rather than simple extrapolation from historical activity data. The factors considered are reviewed on an annual basis.

In 2013-14 a series of elements were applied to each in scope service stream to ensure that activity targets are tailored to the requirements and patterns of each LHN. Activity targets are developed by the Ministry and LHNs based on analysis of activity levels over four years to 2011-12 plus forecast 2012-13 activity. This analysis was further informed in 2013/14 by the following factors:

Weighted population change: providing an indication of expected ‘natural’ growth

Rate of unplanned re-admissions within 28 days, to offset growth

Potentially preventable hospitalisation (PPH), to offset growth

Relative Utilisation Rate (RUR) and Health Need Index (HNI)

Inter-district and cross-border flows (where relevant)

Current year activity relative to targets

Known service changes and developments, including planned capacity increases.

Price weight adjustments which are being applied in 2013-14 include:

Specialist paediatric hospitals

Aboriginal patients

Patients from outer regional, remote or very remote locations

Private patients (service and accommodation adjustments).

Provisional activity estimates are generally created at a facility level to provide the basis for discussion and negotiation with individual health services to determine agreed LHN level activity targets, with the activity volumes measured using the weights for each Service Category. Additionally, where applicable, activity estimation is split by financial class to allow differential funding mechanisms to be applied to the respective service groups to reflect the variation in funding source. These financial classes include Public, Private and Compensable (DVA, MVA, Workers Compensation, Other Compensable).

Provisional estimates and historical activity measures provide the basis for discussions with individual Health Services and subsequent negotiations for approval or adjustment.

The negotiation process allows for relevant local LHN service issues and activity impact to be communicated with the NSW Ministry of Health (Ministry) to assess the potential impact on future year activity volumes and the relevance of related service strategies to address these. It is important that negotiation processes recognise that funding and purchasing are undertaken in the environment of a capped State / Commonwealth funding pool for 2013/14 and recognition that NSW contributes the larger portion of these funds as well as being responsible for management of the system as a whole. When negotiations have concluded, the Ministry incorporates the final activity targets in each LHN’s annual Service Agreement. Where an LHN achieves delivery of selected services through Affiliated Health Organisations or contracted services with a private provider these arrangements are to be specified in agreements between the LHN and the respective provider. Both the funding (and subsidy) and associated activity pertaining to such providers are included in the budget and the activity estimates appearing in the LHN’s annual Service Agreement.

Cash payments processed within the National Health Funding Pool (NHFP) Payments System and included within the Administrator’s monthly reports are based on the accrued budget for both ABF and in-scope block funding derived from the LHN Service Agreements after deducting an allowance to recognise own sourced revenue earned, and retained by the LHNs and liabilities for superannuation and long service leave which are accepted by the Crown.

The resultant cash value is processed through the state pool account (ABF) or the state managed fund (in-scope block). Although a consistent methodology has been applied, variations in cash prices between LHNs reflect the differing mix of the above components (own sourced revenue and Crown accepted liabilities) of each local hospital network’s accrued cost.

In addition to receiving weekly cash payments from the state pool account and the state managed fund, LHNs also receive direct State Government funding for 2013-14 for all “out of scope” services not subject to the National Health Reform Agreement arrangements as required under their 2013-14 Service Agreements.

Monthly reports – Basis on which payments were made

For NSW, all dollar values included in the tables issued by the Administrator are cash payments from either the NSW state pool account to LHNs or cash payments from the state managed fund to LHNs, and one exception that requires a quarterly cash payment to the Victorian Department of Health for NSW contribution for the Albury-Wodonga inter-jurisdictional agreement.

The weekly cash payment to an LHN reflects the estimated cost of patient related services anticipated to be delivered during the monthly cash payment period. The estimated monthly activity and the weekly cash payments are determined based on the annual LHN Service Agreements.

Cash payments from the NSW state pool account and from the state managed fund to LHNs are processed each Tuesday. Reporting by the Administrator is based on cash payments made during a given month and is therefore dependent on the number of Tuesdays in a particular month. During 2013-14, July 2013, October 2013, December 2013 and April 2014 each have five Tuesdays, with all other months having four Tuesdays. If accrual accounting principles were being applied within the NHFA Payments System, the value of the reported cash payments would recognise only the number of calendar days in a particular month, not the 35 days (five weeks paid) or 28 days (four weeks paid), as reported by the Administrator.

Cash payments to LHNs from both the NSW state pool account and state managed fund are generally calculated based on equal weekly instalments to health services unless otherwise negotiated.

Other payments will occur in 2013-14 that are outside the regular weekly (Tuesday) payment cycle. Such payments include the full year insurance premium, quarterly payments to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, quarterly payments to Victoria Health for the Albury-Wodonga inter-jurisdictional agreement and payments to other States/Territories for NSW residents treated in their public hospitals. Payments to LHNs may also vary where their cash entitlement alters during the financial year.

Monthly comparison of cash payments from the NSW state pool and state managed fund can vary month to month predominately due to these planned payments.

The cash payments from the NSW state pool account or state managed fund do not reflect the full budgeted funding available to health services in NSW. Other sources of funds available to LHNs include separate payments from the Crown (for example, defined superannuation scheme and long service leave cash recovery) as well as own sourced revenues earned and retained by each LHN.

For May 2014, there is a residual amount of Commonwealth funding ($7,149,404.58) in the NSW state pool account relating to Western Sydney Local Health District. This advanced payment will be fully disbursed in June 2014.

For more information on budget allocations, see the 2013-14 LHN Service Agreements which are available on each NSW LHN website from 1 September 2013.

In March 2014, the Commonwealth provided New South Wales with additional public hospital funding of $19,061,906.98 under the 2013-14 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) funding measure: Public Hospital System - additional funding. This funding was provided to offset the downward adjustment to 2013-14 NHR funding applied at the MYEFO due to the application of updated NHR funding indexation parameters. A requirement of the provision of this funding was that the funding be provided to LHNs through the National Health Funding Pool and / or State Managed Fund.

The Administrator has been advised by New South Wales that the New South Wales contributions to LHNs through the Pool between March and June 2014 will include this additional funding from the Commonwealth.

Reference information

The financial information outlined in the following report is categorised as:

NHR funding – when the Commonwealth or state or territory government pays NHR funding into a state pool account or state managed fund.

NHR payments – when NHR funding that has been deposited into a state pool account or state managed fund is paid out of the state pool account by the Administrator, or is paid out of the state managed fund by the state or territory.

State pool account transactions

Table 1a – State pool account transactions – New South Wales, May 2014

This table shows funding paid into the New South Wales state pool account by the Commonwealth, New South Wales or other states/territories, and payments out of the state pool account to LHNs, the state managed fund, the NSW Ministry of Health or the state pool accounts of other states/territories for May 2014.

Following on from table 1a, this table shows year-to-date (YTD) funding paid into the New South Wales state pool account by the Commonwealth, New South Wales or other states/territories, and payments out of the state pool account to LHNs, the state managed fund, the NSW Ministry of Health or the state pool accounts of other states/territories as at May 2014.

Commonwealth ABF funding represents Acute admitted public, Acute admitted private, Non-admitted, and Emergency department, Sub-acute, and Admitted mental health service categories, which are funded by the Commonwealth through the state pool account and subsequently paid to LHNs.

Commonwealth Block funding represents Non-admitted mental health, Small rural hospitals, Teaching, training & research, and Other non-admitted categories, which are funded by the Commonwealth and paid to the state managed fund.

Commonwealth Other funding represents other amounts funded by the Commonwealth, transacted through the state pool account and subsequently paid to state or territory health departments. This currently represents the Commonwealth contribution to public health.

NSW funding represents funding contributions paid by New South Wales into its own state pool account, and subsequently paid to LHNs within the state, to the New South Wales health department and/or to other state pool accounts.

Other state/territory funding represents contributions paid to New South Wales by other states and territories for cross-border activity.

Note: The grey shaded areas in these tables reflect that these amounts are not applicable for a particular 'paid out' column. For example, Commonwealth block funding is only paid to state managed funds and is not applicable for local hospital networks or state or territory health departments.

NHR funding and payments shown in these tables include GST where applicable.

State managed fund transactions

Table 2a – State managed fund transactions – New South Wales, May 2014

This table shows funding paid into the New South Wales state managed fund by the Commonwealth and New South Wales, and payments out of the state managed fund to LHNs and other provider organisations for May 2014.

Following on from table 2a, this table shows year-to-date (YTD) funding paid into the New South Wales state managed fund by the Commonwealth and New South Wales, and YTD payments out of the state managed fund to LHNs and other provider organisations as at May 2014.

Commonwealth Block funding represents Commonwealth block funding contributions paid into the state managed fund from the state pool account, and block payments out of the state managed fund to LHNs and other provider organisations.

State/territory Block funding represents New South Wales block funding contributions into the state managed fund, and block payments out of the state managed fund to LHNs and other provider organisations.

Note: The grey shaded areas in these tables reflect that these block payments cannot at this stage be identified by source of funding (state, territory or Commonwealth contribution).

NHR funding and payments shown in these tables include GST where applicable.

NHR funding and payments by service category

Table 3 – NHR funding and payments by service category – New South Wales, May 2014

This table shows NHR funding and payments by service category on both a monthly and year-to-date (YTD) basis for New South Wales for May 2014. NHR funding and payments are separated into the following service categories – activity-based funding (ABF), block funding, and other funding.

Total ABF (Pool) is an aggregate of both Commonwealth and state or territory NHR funding and payments for activity-based funding (ABF) which is transacted through the state pool account.

Total Block (SMF) is an aggregate of both Commonwealth and state or territory NHR funding and payments for block funding which is transacted through the state managed fund (SMF).

Total Other (Pool) represents other funding and payments, which are transacted through the state pool account, including public health funding, overdeposits, cross-border funding and payments, and interest.

State and territory cross-border payments can either be:

Paid to the relevant state or territory's LHNs - included within ABF and/or block payments in the above table, or

Reimbursed to the relevant state or territory where the state or territory's LHNs are already being funded for the cost of treating cross-border patients - shown in the Cross-border row under Other in the above table.

NHR funding and payments shown in these tables include GST where applicable.

NHR contributions in this table are GST exclusive to enable comparability of NHR payments in each LHN report.

Note: This table excludes GST. The majority of government funding to LHNs is not subject to GST. However in some cases hospital funding to non-government entities does attract GST, for example, denominational hospitals, privately and commercially owned health facilities, or any other non-government third party provider of health services or related supplies.

Estimated monthly, YTD and annual activity

States and territories provide service volume estimates at the start of each financial year, and if required, can continue to refine these estimates during the course of the year. These estimates form the basis of monthly reporting of service volumes until actual service numbers become available. These estimates are expressed as National Weighted Activity Units (NWAU).

States and territories provide estimated annual NWAU to the Administrator as a basis for determining the Commonwealth activity-based funding. Current month NWAU estimates accumulate through the year-to-date (YTD) NWAU, to be equal to the annual NWAU at the end of the financial year.

States and territories may also provide activity information relating to the delivery of other public hospital functions funded.

Table 5 – Estimated monthly, YTD and annual NWAU by local hospital network – New South Wales, May 2014

This table shows estimated state or territory hospital activity for activity-based funding services expressed as NWAU for May 2014, the associated cumulative year-to-date (YTD), and total estimated annual NWAU for each LHN in New South Wales.

An NWAU is a measure of health service activity expressed as a common unit. It provides a way of comparing and valuing each public hospital service, whether they are admissions, emergency department presentations or outpatient episodes, by weighting them for their clinical complexity. The average hospital service is worth one NWAU - the most intensive and expensive activities are worth multiple NWAU, the simplest and least expensive are worth fractions of an NWAU.

Monthly NHR payments relate to the cash needs of public hospitals and do not necessarily reflect the volume of services to be delivered in the month.